EXPLORA I

AUGUST

This was my very first time sailing with Explora, and I was truly impressed. The ship strikes the perfect balance of elegant luxury with a laid-back, welcoming vibe. Every single crew member went above and beyond to make sure we were having the best experience possible. The food? Absolutely excellent. The Marketplace offered a wide variety of fresh, flavorful options, and every meal felt like a treat. Our Ocean Terrace suite was spacious, spotless, and designed for comfort—the walk-in closet/vanity area and walk-in shower were so well thought out. It felt more like staying in a high-end hotel than being on a ship. What stood out most was how uncrowded the ship felt. Even on a sea day, we never had to search for a lounge chair or a dining table, and dinner reservations were easy to get. We rarely even shared an elevator with anyone, and there were no waits for boarding tenders—it all felt effortless. The entertainment was classy, polished, and had the feel of Broadway productions—such a refreshing change from the typical cruise shows. I would highly recommend Explora Journeys to anyone who wants the refined luxury of a high-end vacation without the feel of formal cruising. It’s an experience that makes you feel relaxed, cared for, and completely indulged.

MAY

The ship is amazing and the staff is top notch!!!

MARCH

<div>Explora I is a beautiful ship with a sophisticated neutral palette, designer decor, spacious ocean-facing suites, and plenty of space for you to truly feel as if you are sailing on your own personal yacht. The Infiniti jacuzzi was a favorite spot, as well as the tranquil Wellness Center of the Spa. The service was impeccable from the bartenders to the servers to the cabin host. There are several dining options to choose from-- whether you wish to eat in a fine dining experience, a buffet marketplace setting, or a snack/coffee bar, etc. No matter where you are on the ship, there are beautiful details throughout, and the crew to passenger ratio made it exceptionally easy to get whatever you wanted or needed as quickly as possible. &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Explora prides itself on being a smaller ship, so that they can stop at &quot;off-the-beaten-path&quot; ports. In theory, this is a wonderful concept but some tweaking of the itineraries/ports is needed to better align themselves with the standards and expectations of luxury clientele paying a high price for these experiences. Particularly on sea days, it would have been wonderful to have more demonstrations, lectures, or even additional fitness classes offered. I think in due time, everything will fall into place so that the supremely relaxing ambiance and exceptional hospitality is matched with equally entertaining classes and interesting experiences.</div>

MARCH

Exceeded all of our expectations. But know what you're getting - High end cruising, smaller ship (900pax capacity) that was only 2/3 full, unfailingly eager to please staff, very, very, very few kids clientele skews 65+. We went fore the shipboard experience and not the destination islands and were not disappointed. This is a cruise line for those looking to get away from it all and be pampered and do as little as possible.

FEBRUARY

Disembarkation process was very organized. Buffet was better than expected. Staff was wonderful. Would not repeat the itinerary but definitely repeat Explora.

FEBRUARY

<div>The ship is beautiful, lovely interior space and expansive outdoor areas. The most knowledgeable and friendliest staff I have experience at sea. The food in all the restaurants was excellent.</div> <div>Nice mix of passengers in ages and nationalities.&nbsp; Average age a little lower than on some luxury ships.</div> <div>If you have clients with mobility issues, I suggest you put them near the forward elevators.&nbsp; The aft elevators do not go to deck 4 where some of the restaurants are.&nbsp;</div>

JANUARY

loved the Explora One and the cruise, food and service were beyond expectations. The staff was fantastic, completely service oriented. They could not do enough to assist you. Kumar who served as at Sakhura was fantastic and made it a great experience. There was also a female who served us on 1/16 at Anthology who was fabulous. I believe she was Philipino. Our room attendant Gabriel was also excellent The only suggestion would be to have an area where sporting events can be watched by a group. There were 12 of us from Buffalo and we wanted to watch the playoff game. Initially we were told it could only be shown in our rooms. At the last minute they arranged to show it in the chef's Kitchen which could accomodate us all. Would it be possible to put TVs into one lounge that could show sporting events.

DECEMBER

Very nice ship and cabins. Service was excellent.

OCTOBER

We are veteran luxury cruisers....Silversea, Seabourn, Oceania, Crystal. This was, by far, the best one yet.

SEPTEMBER

Based on our one cruise experience Explora provided very good service and good value for the cost.

APRIL

Ship geared toward Europeans. Prices in Euros, meters, 24 hour clock etc. Only buffet eating or big dining rooms (which we couldn’t get into) nothing in between like a coffee shop with waiters. Food was good but not a lot of variety. No where on ship to get a snack if the buffet was closed. Lack of reasonably priced excursions. Lack of good entertainment at night and activities on sea days

APRIL

lovely lovely experience. Would have like to skip night in San Fran and maybe stopped in Seattle

APRIL

Ship geared toward Europeans. Prices in Euros, meters, 24 hour clock etc. Only buffet eating or big dining rooms (which we couldn’t get into) nothing in between like a coffee shop with waiters. Food was good but not a lot of variety. No where on ship to get a snack if the buffet was closed. Lack of reasonably priced excursions. Lack of good entertainment at night and activities on sea days

APRIL

I had no idea what to expect on a cruise and I was so pleasently surprised. Everyone was wonderful and the food was amazing!

APRIL

I had no idea what to expect on a cruise and I was so pleasently surprised. Everyone was wonderful and the food was amazing!

APRIL

The cabins were very well appointed and housekeeping was exceptional. The bedding was very comfortable with Frette linens and well-appointed comforts of home. I thought the entertainment to be unique onboard and varied and different from some of the other cruise lines that have more of a Las Vegas type of entertainment with singing and dancing. The shore excursions were well organized and a good value and gave a good overview of the destinations.

MARCH

Explora I, MSC's new luxury ocean cruise line and first of six, has an elegant, modern decor throughout and with the 5 restaurants, excellent servers and first-rate performers, eight days aboard this ship went way too quickly! All restaurants were amazing, but Sakura was my favorite as I am still dreaming about the miso-glazed black cod and kiwi pavlova. We also enjoyed the luxury brand stores, but the staff at Cartier created a unique afternoon pairing wine and watches. We loved it so much we bought a Tank watch after the presentation by their dream team Cartier reps Rupesh & Scott and Jay, the sommelier. This was a really fun memory. Explora's tour guides are professional, knowledgeable and fun. In particular, we loved Cartagena, but the guide matched the destination with his vibrant and colorful personality. We were luck to have him for both of our days in Cartagena (2 days in each port was great for immersion). Each night, the entertainment blew us away. The level of talent is very impressive and we couldn't wait until the nest performance. Overall, Explora's new cruise line is a cut above the rest and we are so fortunate to have such wonderful memories while exploring Colombia and Panama.

NOVEMBER

<div>Think elegant european sleek contemporary: you see the Italian influence everywhere-lots of marble, unique/eclectic flooring, lighting, furniture &amp; furnishings. Crew were there to serve in a friendly &amp; professional manner- excellent! Many were comfortable to interact with us and get to know us. First time on a lux mid-size ship that didn&#39;t have a main dining room. I wondered how that would be? We were extremely delighted with the fine dining options and food quality in them all. There are 5 speciality dining venues all seating 150 with no additional fees, two take advance reservations. The buffet/marketplace Emporium serves B/L/D, and is beyond any buffet I&#39;ve ever experienced. Fresh oysters, lobster, shimp, handmade pastas &amp; sauces, it appeared to be endless with something for everyone. Anthology was an additional charge, which we didn&#39;t try. Our cabin/suite was entry level (ocean terrace) which was elegant with a small balcony &amp; adequate bathroom with walk-in shower, very comfortable walk-in closet. with vanity area. Included Illy coffee maker, kettle for hot tea, always refreshed still water, small fridge which they would stock as you wish including soft drinks &amp; 2 bottles of liquor. Bottle of good champagne to welcome guests and a few nice gifts sprinkled in during turndown over the week. Unlike most cruise lines, Explora has decided to omit the evening &#39;show&#39; for more of a nightclub entertainment focus in a beautiful large lounge -with a few excellent lead singers &amp; accomplished 6 piece orchestra- along with the privilege of listening to pianist on a STEINWAY. Our cruise was not full-50-60% occupancy-so not sure how that will accomodate when the ship is full. They also brought on a superb speaker &amp; world renowned violinist who we really enjoyed. Other lounges also featured light musical performers. There were a few daytime activities that seemed interesting-not nearly as many as on many cruise lines. Explora Journeys stressed a focus on wellness/well being aboard in their marketing. They did feature several stretching, meditation, workouts, as well as a fitness area with super equipment. There were steam, sauna, cold therapy to use in the spa during limited times on sea days, but more open on port days. As this cruise line is so new and itinerary is a work in progress, I believe the port &#39;experiences&#39; can be improved upon. Advance details of what is needed, how long bus ride, time at destination, meal, etc. were not detailed which left some grumbling at times. Experiences/excursions are not included in pricing and they are priced a bit high, so expectation is also high. Seems Explora is priced right now to encourage travelers to book &amp; experience their &#39;Brand&#39; Value is in my mind remarkable.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Very cool to hear Andrea Bocelli&#39;s &quot;Time to Say Good-bye&quot; played throughout the ship when pulling out of each port... a beautiful Italian touch!&nbsp;</div>